Lieberman Sets Terms, Complicating Coalition Talks Without Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, has stated he will only join a "Zionist" coalition government, excluding Benjamin Netanyahu and Haredi or Arab parties. His conditions include forming a state inquiry commission and enacting a universal conscription law. With no bloc holding a majority after the latest election results, Lieberman's stance further complicates coalition formation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman will only join a Zionist coalition, excluding Netanyahu and Haredi/Arab parties.
- Lieberman demands a state inquiry commission and universal conscription law as conditions.
- No Israeli political bloc has secured the 61 seats needed for a majority.
- Lieberman's party, Yisrael Beiteinu, won seven seats in the election.
- The current vote count shows Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats and the opposition with 48.
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has declared he will only join a coalition composed solely of "Zionist parties," explicitly excluding Benjamin Netanyahu from leadership and ruling out any reliance on Arab or Haredi parties. Lieberman's conditions, stated on Thursday, come as the final vote count from the 26th Knesset elections nears completion, revealing no clear majority for either bloc. The bloc supporting Netanyahu currently stands at 53 seats, while the opposition bloc has 48.
Lieberman, whose party secured seven seats, thanked his voters and activists for their trust in his party's platform for a "Jewish, democratic, Zionist, and liberal state." He emphasized his commitment to campaign promises, stating, "A word is a word with me, and everything I said before the elections is still valid afterward." He explicitly stated his refusal to sit with Netanyahu, Tibi, Goldknopf, Der'i, or Yasser Hujirat, whom he referred to as "terror supporters."
Furthermore, Lieberman rejected any possibility of external support from Arab parties, whether direct or indirect. "The only coalition that is possible is one composed solely of Zionist parties, including the Likud without Bibi," he stressed.
Beyond the coalition's composition, Lieberman presented two non-negotiable demands for any future government: the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry and the passage of a universal conscription law. "A coalition in which these two points do not appear first and foremost is irrelevant to us," he declared.
As of 12:34 PM, with approximately 95.4% of votes counted, the electoral map remains unchanged, indicating a continued political deadlock.
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